slow and steady | teaching kilima's favourite bad boy to slow dance to human music | reth keita x gn!reader, established relationship, fluff
The slow, sweet notes drifted from the record player Kenyatta had gifted you and filled the room, basking your home in its symphony. You'd found many treasures while exploring ancient temples but this dusty record is by far your favourite.
It definitely wasn't Majiri music, that much you could tell just by listening to it, and the people posing on the dusty record were clearly human musicians from long ago.
The door to your house opene with a slight creak, cutting through the music. "Sweet tooth?"
You lift the needle from the record, temporarily stopping the song. "Reth?"
The flirtatious chef lights up at the sight of you and you can feel your heart flutter in your chest, always responding to his presence.
"The inn was quiet so Ashura let me go early for a change. Made me promise to get some actual rest for once - like I need beauty sleep when I already look like this," he gestures to himself with a cocky grin and a mischievous sparkle shining in his blue eyes.
"Humble much?"
"Oh, babe, you know humble isn't a word in my vocabulary." His arms wrap around your waist, pulling you closer. His cheeky smile softens into something warm and genuine, mischief melting into something close to adoring. "Missed you today."
You respond with a surprised huff of laughter. "I only seen you a few hours ago when I stopped by for lunch!"
Reth rolls his eyes. "Semantics."
You practically swoon as he ducks his head and rests it on the curve between your shoulder and your neck. You can hear him momentarily inhale your scent, his shoulders noticeably drooping as his body relaxes from your presence alone. Getting to see him this way, real and relaxed, always felt like a privilege. To the other villagers of Kilima, he was the energetic chef with a quick quip and joke for everything, burying his pain and tiredness under an easy grin. With you, he could finally peel back those layers and just be himself with no expectations or uncertainty.
You reach up a hand to pet over his dreadlocks, a fond smile playing on your lips. "You okay there, babe?"
He hums but doesn't move, content to simply stand there with his head buried in the crook of your neck, just basking in your presence now that it's just the two of you in your home.
It's still a fairly new adjustment, being in a relationship with 'Kilima's favourite bad boy' (Reth's words, not yours). You still remembered clearly the day you bought the heart-shaped box of chocolates from Zeki and shuffled anxiously over to the inn to present them to Reth, all shy smiles and flushed cheeks. His stunned face still lived rent free in your mind; the magneta colour tinting his cheeks and creeping up his neck, beautiful blue eyes wide with disbelief and awe.
From there you'd taken things slow and gotten to know each other on a new level that only made you fall harder until you were asking Ashura about making Reth a pin to solidify things and express your deepening feelings and devotion.
Your heart still swells with pride and adoration when you see the pin glinting off of Reth's vest, proudly displayed for all to see. Your own pin given to you by Reth is safely hung from a chain around your neck. You'd been too afraid it would break and fall off and you'd lose it while exploring temples and ancient ruins, so you opted for wearing it on a chain instead to ensure it was with you always.
"Hey, babe?"
You hum at the warm timbre of his voice, bringing you out of your reverie. "Hm?"
He lifts his head, arching a brow. "Did I hear music when I was coming in?"
"Oh yeah, I found this old human record in the last temple. It's actually pretty nice."
"Can you play it again for me?"
You detangle yourself from him - lips twitching at the disgruntled whine from his throat - and go over to the record player, gently dropping the needle back down on the record.
Music fills the room again, sweet and slow.
After a moment, Reth frowns. "Not to insult your species, babe, but it's a little dull. How did humans dance to this?"
A laugh echoes from you. "It's supposed to be slow, Reth. It's romantic."
"Romantic? This?" He gives you an uncertain look, brow raised. "I mean, it's no Bahari Boyz but come on."
You take his hands, placing them both either side of your waist, and looping your arms around his neck.
The chef raises a brow, lips curling upward. "Uh, not that I'm complaining but what are you doing?"
"Teaching you how to dance."
"I know how to dance, thank you very much. I'll have you know one place in Bahari City banned me because my dancing was far too sexy and scandalous."
You roll your eyes. "Cute, but I meant I'm teaching you to dance like a human. A slow dance."
Reth doesn't pull away or argue as you begin to sway to the music, gently guiding him to follow your steps (and trying not to wince when he steps on your feet numerous times).
As the music continues, you both find yourselves lost in the sound, bodies naturally relaxing into one another, your movements becoming more fluid and easy now.
After a while, you end up resting your head on Reth's chest, hand in hand as he takes the lead and slowly rocks you both back and forth in a steady rhythm. You can hear him quietly humming along to the tune.
Lifting your head, you look up at him with a smile. "So, what do you think of human music now?"
Reth responds with a smile of his own, eyes warm. "Anything's good with you in my arms, sweet tooth."
thank you to the anon who requested this 🫶 i had so much fun writing for my favourite bachelor and shep ❤️
you basically sprinted out the door of the furniture shop as tish yells out one last thank you; smiling to yourself as you rushed to the tavern.
it had been about a week since you and reth confessed, and decided to give a possible relationship a try. it was hard, with reth constantly working and you keeping yourself busy with your own quests, you barely had any time to see him. you both knew it’d be hard, but neither one of you could shake your feelings for each other enough to not try. still, you saw him as often as you could.
as you enter the dimly lit tavern, you find reth in his usual spot behind the counter, wiping it clean as his eyes meet yours and he smiles.
“hey you!”
you blush, “hey, i brought you something!”
he rests his arms on the counter and leans in close as you take a seat, reaching into your bag you pull out a new recipe you finally mastered.
his smile grows, “macarons? i thought you didn’t like baking?”
“yea but i’m pretty good at making macarons now, and im learning a new soup recipe too!”
he chuckles, he loves seeing you try new things and take interest in his interests, it really makes him feel like you care about him.
“hey soup is my thing, you stick to baking.” he says and takes the pink pastry.
wc: 2983
tags: fem!reader, she/her reader pronouns, reth from palia, canon events (i guess could be spoilery?), finding your shepp, self indulgent writing, not proofread or beta read :D
masterlist
“Find a shepp,” you muttered to yourself with a sigh. It was hard enough trying to navigate this newfound world, let alone trying to find a shepp per Eshe’s request. Since spawning into this place they called Kilima Village, you had been thrown into task after task. How would you ever find the time to build relationships with the villagers if you were always busy? You decided that today you would take a break from being the errand girl for everyone and instead would meet everyone you could find in hopes that you would find someone who would be willing to be your shepp. Up until now, you had only briefly spoken to most of the town, but no one knew you well enough to be your shepp just yet.
As you came into town, you assumed that Ashura would probably have wise words of advice on the fact of the matter. Hurrying along, you walked into the inn to find Ashura at his desk.
“Hey, Ashura!” you said cheerily as you approached him. The large, gentle giant softly smiled. “Welcome in, y/n! Good to see you today. How are things going for ya?” he asked.
“Honestly? Well, I need some advice. You know this place, and the people, better than anyone, so I was going to see if you have any tips for me on picking a shepp?”
“A shepp? So that’s what Eshe has you doing, I see. Well, many of the townsfolk would be more than happy to be a shepp- but,” he gave you a look, “asking them to be your own comes with a lot of responsibility on their part. You don’t want just anyone to be your shepp, and it should be someone you feel close to or have a connection with.”
“Responsibility? Eshe didn’t really explain much of all this to me. I thought they just told Eshe ‘Yep, she’s one of us!’ and that was it.”
Ashura chuckled. “In a way, yes, that is what they do. But their job as your shepp doesn’t stop there. They’re responsible for you, so anything you do- whether that’s good or bad- reflects upon them, too. Likewise, anything they do can also affect your own standing in Eshe’s eyes, if you get what I mean.”
“Oh… so we are kinda tied to each other’s social standing?” The wheels in your head began to turn. Who would you choose as your shepp then? It seemed the task wasn’t going to be as easy as you once thought it’d be.
“Yes, at least in the beginning it will be. But once you’re on your feet, most of us will forget who you picked as your shepp and there won’t be a little red string tying you guys together anymore. But don’t just rush into it, you’ve got all the time you need to pick someone who best fits you and your lifestyle. I know you aren’t Majiri like us, but maybe figuring out what path you like can help you narrow down your candidates.”
“Path. That’s right! A lot of you guys have your own path, so maybe I should find one I could call my own as well. Thanks, Ashura! I knew you’d be a big help for sure.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s what I’m here for, of course. Kilima Village has a pretty good variety of those in different paths, there is a path for everyone- from farming, furniture making, to cooking- you’ll figure it out.” Ashura placed a hand on your shoulder and gave a soft smile before walking past you to go about his day.
There is a path for everyone. Surely someone in this town had a path you could find yourself in, you just had to figure out who it was. As you stood there, racking your brain through the makeshift list of names in your head, you heard the rumbling coming from your stomach. You had been so immersed in your search for finding a shepp today that you forgot to make yourself something to eat. You looked around the inn, seeing the bar open for business.
“What’cha got on the menu today, Reth?” you asked as you put your hands on the counter. The elf playfully contemplated his response, acting as if he was thinking long and hard about it. “Well, I would say my famous lettuce soup, but I’d be willing to whip up something different if you wanted,” he said with a smirk.
“As much as I love your lettuce soup, I don’t think I can have that for breakfast. How about some bacon-stuffed mushrooms? What do I have to do to get some of those on your menu?” you laughed. Reth was someone who was fun to talk to, in your opinion. You knew that the rest of the town had their own opinions about him, but none of it mattered to you. You enjoyed how go with the flow he was and how he always seemed to take each day one at a time.
“You know what, for you, I can make those. Just don’t tell people I make stuff off the menu.” He winked and turned around to start prepping the food. As you watched him chop the ingredients and assemble your meal, you wondered what his thoughts were on paths and choosing a shepp. “Reth, what do you think I should do about finding a shepp? Ashura said I should find someone who’s on a path that I can find myself in, but I don’t even know where to start.”
Reth scoffed to himself. “You sure you want to ask me about paths and shepps? I don’t think I’m really the best one to give you any advice on that, y/n. But if you wanna know how I feel, I think that these paths people take just because their parents do is a little outdated of an idea. I think what Ashura means is finding a path that you like, that you enjoy doing. You lucked out being human, even if you changed your mind, no one is really gon’ say much about it.” His tone changed towards the end of his sentence.
“Yeah, so I’ve heard. The Majiri don’t seem too understanding if you change paths… but I’m sure you know it all too well, but I’m glad you’re doing something you like.”
“Me too, this stuff is way more fun than getting splinters all day and hammering away on furniture,” he said as he put the plate of bacon-stuffed mushrooms in front of you. The food looked immaculate, you could tell it was made by someone who truly loved what they were doing.
Hey, Reth,” you said quietly as you started to cut the food into pieces. Reth turned around and wiped his hands on his apron. “Yeah? What’s up? It’s not good? Don’t tell me that, just lie to me,” he snickered.
“No, no. It’s not the food, this is good, great even,” you said as you finished a bite. “Do you think, maybe, you would be my shepp?”
Reth looked astounded by the question. “What?! ME ?! Y/N, I wouldn’t even know what to do with myself as a shepp. Maybe if I knew you better, but even then, you sure you want me to be that person? I don’t really have the best reputation in the village.”
You pushed the food around on the plate, almost feeling stupid for even thinking he’d agree to something so serious. It wasn’t like Reth to be tied to anything, let alone a new person in the village who was asking a lot of him. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked. You’re probably right,” you said quietly.
Reth leaned on the counter and met your eye level. “Look, if it comes down to it and you still don’t have someone, then I’ll do it. But there’s gotta be someone way better out there for your decision than this guy. But I will do it if no one else will-”
“Really?!” you exclaimed, cutting him off. Reth put up his index finger. “Yeah, but on one condition,” he chuckled. “You just have to promise to keep coming into the inn and having breakfast, lunch, and dinner here for a while before I really agree to it. I gotta know the person I’m shepping for before saying yes for real, don’t I?”
You rolled your eyes playfully. “You know what, Reth. I think I can do that, but only if you promise me you won’t make me lettuce soup every time I come in.” Reth laughed heartily at your response and nodded his head in approval. “Fine, you got a deal.” He made his way to the other side of the counter to take someone else’s order and began prepping their food for them.
It was hard not to watch in awe as he prepared the orders he had coming in. He was meticulous with his cuts and attentive to all timers in the kitchen, basically ready to take stuff out before the timers could even go off. It was like watching an artist paint a masterpiece as he plated the food and garnished it before passing it across the counter. As you continued to watch, you admired how much fun it looked like he had cooking. Finally, you finished your food.
“Reth,” you called to him as you placed your coins on the counter. “For the food.” You got off the seat and waved goodbye. “See ya later, Y/N! I’ll be here all day,” he laughed as he waved back. You left the inn in a better state than you came in, at least you knew that if all else failed with the rest of the town, Reth had promised to be your shepp.
ɞ────⋆˚₊⋆ ๑
The coming weeks didn’t bring any result in picking a shepp. Everyone was either too busy to commit to it or didn’t feel right with your relationship being so new with them. You walked into the inn and sat at the bar, laying your head in your arms and letting out a long sigh.
“Hey, hey, hey. This is a ‘no-sad-human-zone’, you can’t do that here,” Reth said as he leaned on the counter in front of you, resting his head in his palm. “Ughhh,” you groaned dramatically. “Wow, that bad, huh? I bet I know what will fix it.” He snapped his finger and walked into the back of the bar where the pantry and other cooking supplies were at. A few moments later, you could feel him put down a plate of food on the counter beside you. “This one’s on the house,” he said as you raised your head up to look at what he brought out. It was a fresh bowl of ramen, complete with boiled eggs and green onions on top. Reth leaned over and whispered to you. “Just don’t tell anyone I let you have it for free, okay?” He winked and grabbed a cleaning rag to start wiping off the counter.
You appreciated the sentiment, especially coming from Reth since you two were starting to grow a little closer after all the visits you had promised to make to the inn. “Reth, what do you do outside of this place?” Reth paused for a moment, a little confused by the question. “You mean like once I leave work? Uh… I do…. stuff, I guess.” His tone implied he wasn’t really trying to answer the question, but you couldn’t pinpoint why.
“Well, are you going somewhere when you’re done today?” you asked, not really sure where you were going with the series of questions.
“I have a few things I have to do later tonight, but nothing right after we close up here. Why? You tryin' to ask me to hangout?” He chuckled and kept wiping the counter.
“Actually, yeah. Do you want to?” You were still unsure yourself what was even going on, but the conversation just seemed to flow naturally. You did want to know more about Reth after all this time, and he did say he needed to know you more before officially agreeing to be your shepp. Short conversations over a meal while he worked weren’t really the best way for you two to get to know each other.
“Oh, uh,” Reth said, scratching the back of his head and smiling. “I didn’t expect you to actually say that was the plan. But ya know what, I think we can do that. Why don’t you come back later at say, 6pm? I’ll be finishing up here and we can go somewhere then. How’s that sound?”
“Sure, that sounds good. Thanks, Reth.” You started to eat your food as you noticed Reth checking the clock on the wall. “I’ll be right back, I have to.. Get a few things from the storeroom.” Reth scurried off out of the bar and rushed down the stairs to the basement area. After a few minutes, you felt a large hand on your shoulder. You turned to see Ashura standing beside you, he looked like he needed something.
“Have you seen Reth? I got a few things I need to talk to that boy about, but he’s always in and out doing things,” he said.
“He just had to go to the storeroom for something, but when he gets back I can let him know that you need him?” You gave a shrug as you suggested.
“Yeah, that’ll work. Thanks, Y/N. I have to head out to the garden, but he should know where to find me.” He gave a sincere smile and left the inn. You looked up at the clock. Reth had been gone for at least 10 minutes. What on earth does he have to even get down there? And what about his job? Luckily, the bar wasn’t full of people waiting on him, but what if it was? He would be in high water with Ashura come the end of the day, and you definitely didn’t want to see if that sweet man was capable of bringing down the hammer.
You glanced around the bar; it didn’t look like anyone was coming to get food anytime soon so you decided to go downstairs to see if Reth needed help with whatever it was he was getting. You got up from the bar and made your way down the steps of the inn. It was your first time down there, but the store room was just across the room past the little boat docks under the inn. As you grabbed the door handle, you felt it turn and pull open as Reth left the storeroom. “Oh! Uh.. Y/N, what are you doing down here?” he asked nervously.
“Well, you were gone for so long, I thought maybe you needed some help or something. And plus, Ashura said he was looking for you.” Reth let out a groan. “Yeah, I forgot I have some errands I have to run tonight for him. He’s probably just reminding me.” He let out a soft sigh under his breath. “We may have to reschedule our little hangout tonight, if that’s alright.”
“Yeah, that’s fine…,” you said. The two of you sat awkwardly in silence for a moment before you broke it. “Maybe I can help you with some of the errands so you get done early?” Reth’s face lit up at the offer. “Hey! That just might work.” He snapped his fingers. “How about you do a few of the deliveries and pick up some things, and I’ll take care of the rest? I promise the deliveries aren’t that bad, just a handful of things to take and pick up.”
His bright smile made you smile as well. “Sure, you just tell me where to go.” Reth pulled out his order pad and wrote down the people to deliver to and who to pick up ingredients from. “There, that should be it. Eshe’s stuff’s all done, just upstairs in the back fridge. You’d be a real lifesaver doing this for me.”
You took the list and walked back upstairs with Reth. He led you into the back kitchen area and got the delivery package out of the fridge and handed it to you. “Careful with it, it’s a luxury to deliver this special dinner of mine to Eshe. Gotta deliver it safely or it’s both our hides that’ll be skinned,” he chuckled. “And just let the others know you’re picking up for me, they should have the stuff ready for you. Thanks again.” He bashfully smiled, something you hadn’t really seen before, but it was endearing. “No problem, I’ll be back before long,” you said before you left the inn.
Eshe’s delivery was your first priority, so you made your way across the bridge down from the stables and found her waiting, impatiently to no surprise. “Hey, Eshe! Have something for you,” you said as you pulled the package out and offered it to her. You watched Eshe look at the package and then back up at you before taking it. “So Reth has you doing his job for him? Hmph, seems fitting. This better be what I’ve been waiting for, not like that awful lettuce soup he pushes every time you order at the inn.”
“He doesn’t have me doing them, I offered to just help him out. I’m sure the food he made is well up to par; he really puts in a lot of work into his food, ya know,” you said assuredly. Eshe scoffed at your reply and tucked the package under her arm. “For his sake, I hope it is. If not, he will surely hear about it.” She walked off towards her house and left you standing there alone.
“These people really feel some type of way about him, don’t they?” you mumbled to yourself.
